Stringed musical instrument.



No. 767,656. PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904.

A. OLSON. STRINGBD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 15, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

K0 MODEL.

'PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904.

A., OLSON. STRINGBD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIOATIQN FILED MAY 15. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 10 MODEL.

UNITED STATES latented August 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,656, dated August 16, 1904.

I Application filed May 15, 1903. Serial No. 157,279. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ANDREW OLsoN, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Cromwell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Stringed Musical Instrument, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to zithers, autoharps, or similar instruments operated by means of plectrums.

The object is to provide simple mechanism by means of which the different notes or chords to be played may be readily selected, the arrangement being such that any known chord, either major or minor, may be struck. Moreover, said mechanism is very simple and the elements thereof are not liable to become deranged.

The preferred form of construction is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- 1n Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved instrument. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view, and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View showing more clearly the arrangement of one of the damper-bars.

Similar reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the embodiment illustrated a hollow body 10 is employed, having a sound-opening 11 therein and intermediate brace webs 12. Suitable bridges 13 are located on opposite ends of the body to support the strings 14:. These strings are each attached at one end to a tuning-post 15, the other ends passing over the end of the body and being fastened to anchor-posts 16. These anchor-posts and the adjacent bridge are covered by a shield-plate 17, secured in place by screws 18, that pass through said plate and into the adjacent "end of the body, the plate being held from engagement with the bridge and strings by means of abutments in the form of screws 19, interposed between the plate and body and threaded into the latter.

Secured upon the upper face of the body and extending over an intermediate portion of the same is a casing comprising side walls 20 and a detachable cap 21, covering the rear portion only of said caslng and being secured in place by suitable screws 22. This casing extends over the strings, and the side walls are vseats 26, formed in the side walls thereof, and

upon this rod are pivoted the rear ends of keys 27 the operative portions of which are located in the open top of the receptacle, these keys being formed and related to constitute the ordinary octave of a piano or organ keyboard. The keys because of their mounting have a vertical movement, but are held against any lateral play by guide-posts 28, depending from the top 21 of the cover and engaging in openings 29, formed in intermediate portions of said keys. The connections between the keys and the corresponding damper-bars are in the form of levers 30, supported between their ends upon a transverse bar 31, that is located in the lower portion of the casing and is arranged longitudinally of and between the strings. These levers each have an upturned front end provided with an offset terminal 32, that rests against the under side of the adjacent key, constituting a support therefor, a suitable pad 33 being preferably interposed between said key and lever. The opposite or rear end of the lever has a pivotal connection 3 1 with the central portion of the corresponding damper-bar 23. In order to normally hold the damper-bars down in coacting engagement with the strings, springs 35 are employed, these springs bearing upon the central portions of the damper-rods, substantially above and in a vertical line with the pivotal connections 3 1 of the levers 30. The springs are formed of wire. Their rear ends are downturned, as shown at 36, said downturned I ends fitting between the adjacent damper-bars and into supporting-flanges 37 for the adjacent ends of said bars. These secured ends thus constitute guides for the bars and prevent lateral movement of the same. The opposite ends of the bars also rest upon a similar ledge or flange 88, which is provided with upstanding guide-pins 39.

As already stated, the instrument preferably has three octaves of strings, though a greater or less number may be employed, if desired. In order to indicate the strings, an outstanding ledge 40 is secured to one side of the casing and extends over the strings. The

upper face of this ledge is provided with an indicating-scale marked to represent a keyboard, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the different marks being located directly above the corresponding strings, which are acted upon by the damper-lever connected with the corresponding keys. Under normal conditions all the strings are rendered mute by the dampers resting thereon. If, however, one of the keys is depressed, the strings corresponding to said key will be released by the raising of the damper-bar. A plectrum, therefore, passed over the strings will sound these released strings, while the rest will remain mute. Therefore in playing upon the instrument the right hand is employed for using the plectrum while the left operates the keyboard. Any tune can therefore be played, or, if desired, by simultaneously depressing a plurality of the keys chords may be struck. The scale will indicate the different keys and also the different octaves, so that the music may be transposed without difliculty and by one who is inexperienced in the art.

From a structural standpoint the mechanism is very efiicient, being all mounted within and carried by the casing. It may be removed without disturbing the parts by detaching said casing. The elements, moreover, are very simple, so that they will not readily become deranged, and their number is reduced for the reason that certain of the parts perform double functions.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a musical instrument of the class described, the combination with a movable damper, of a key pivoted contiguous to one end, and a lever located between the damper and the key and pivotally supported between its ends, one end of the lever having a pivotal engagement with the damper and the other end having'an engagement with the free end of the key.

2. In a musical instrument of the class described, the combination with a verticallymovable damper-bar, of a key pivoted contiguous to its rear end, and an interposed lever pivotally supported between its ends, one end of the lever having a pivotal engagement with the damper, and the other end of the lever bearing against the under side of the free or operative end of the key.

3. In a musical instrument of the class described, the combination with a plurality of strings, of a casing fitted over the strings, a supporting-bar located in the casing, a plurality of damper r bars coacting with the strings, a plurality of keys pivoted upon the casing, and levers connected to the damperbars, said levers resting upon the su pportingbar and having free ends located beneath and constituting supports for the keys.

4. In a musical instrument of the class described, the combination with a verticallymovable damper-bar, of a spring arranged longitudinally of the bar and bearing against an intermediate portion thereof, and operating means for the bar having a connection therewith below the bearing of the spring.

5. In a musical instrument of the class described, the combination with a verticallymovable damper -bar, of a spring bearing against an intermediate portion of the upper side of the bar, and a lever having a pivotal connection with the bar below the bearing of the spring. 7

6. In a musical instrument of the class described, the combination with a movable damper-bar, of a spring coacting with the bar, a portion of said spring constituting a guide for the bar.

7. In a musical instrument of the class described, the combination with a movable damper-bar, of a spring secured at one end contiguous to the end of the bar,- constituting a guide therefor, the free portion of the spring bearing against the bar.

8. In a musical instrument of the class described, the combination with a plurality of damper-bars, of a plurality of springs, each having one end secured between the bars, the other ends of said springs bearing upon the bars.

9. In a musical instrument of the class described, the combination with a casing, of a rod located in the upper portion of the casing, a plurality of keys pivoted at their inner ends to the rod, a plurality of dampers located below the keys, a supporting-bar, and levers having intermediate portions fulcrumed upon the supporting-bar, the ends of said levers coacting respectively with the keys and dampers.

10. In a musical instrument of the class described, the combination with a body, of

strings located thereon, a casing secured-to the body and arranged over the strings, a-plu-.

' rality of damper-bars arranged in the casing and having portions normally resting upon the strings, springs bearing against the censcribed, the combination with a body, of strings secured to one end of the same, a shield-plate covering the attached ends, abutments interposed between the said shieldplate and body, and fastening devices passing through the shield-plate and into the body.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW OLSON.

Witnesses:

E. J. J OHNSON, A. F. OBERG. 

